COMMANDER BUTTERFLY

MY OBSERVATIONS

23-11-2010-Seen a caterpillar in a thin metal wire away from  its host plant. The caterpillar is
                        stopped moving. Tail end is attached to the wire. So it may preparing for pupating. 

    24-11-2010 – Once again moulted and pupated

01-12-2010 – Emerged from pupa in the morning at 7.30

Brownish red liquid

 IT TAKES 6 TO 7 DAYS FOR EMERGING FROM PUPA

Kingdom:        Animalia

Phylum:           Arthropoda

Class:             Insecta

Order:             Lepidoptera

(unranked):     Rhopalocera

Superfamily:   Papilionoidea

Family:            Nymphalidae

Subfamily:      Limenitidinae

Tribe:              Limenitidini

Genus:            Moduza

Species:         Moduza. Procris

Often called as:  Limenitis procris

In Malayalam : Vellilathozhi

Adult

Upperside reddish brown with a broad, discal white band across both wings. Hind wing with 2 rows of black spots. Wingspan 60-75mm. The male and female are similar in appearance

Larva

Grey to brown with spiny head. Body with yellow-brown fleshy spines. Segments 2-4 with thin white dorsal line.

HOST PLANT

.Ochreinauclea missionis (Wall. ex G. Don) Ridsd. is a species of plant in the Rubiaceae family. It is endemic to India. It is threatened.

Kingdom:                            Plantae

(unranked):                         Angiosperms

(unranked):                         Eudicots

(unranked):                         Asterids

Order:                                  Gentianales

Family:                                Rubiaceae

Genus:                                 Ochreinauclea

Species:                             O. missionis

Vernacular names : Tamil: Attu-vanji   Malayalam: Attu-vanji, Nirvanchi